Bindi Irwin revealed on social media last month that before being diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition in which uterine tissue grows outside of the uterus, causing cramping and persistent pain, she had suffered from “insurmountable fatigue, pain, and nausea” for a decade.
Women must get a good diagnosis and treatment for an average of ten years in the United States. Chrissy Teigen, Olivia Culpo, and Julianne Hough are among the 6.5 million ladies in the US who have the condition.
Women between the ages of 30 and 40 experience the highest rates of endometriosis. However, Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, a board-certified OB/GYN at Yale University School of Medicine and member of the PEOPLE Health squad who answered questions about the condition, said that it could occur in women in their 20s and teens.
What symptoms does endometriosis present?
With deep penetration, the tissue can spread outside the uterus, resulting in heavier periods, pain in the bladder, pelvis, and belly, and agony during sex. Additionally, these women frequently experience heavier periods. Infertility is also brought on by it.
Why aren’t all women given a diagnosis?
The majority of people are unaware that endometriosis is a reasonably common condition. Endometriosis influences 10% of all ladies, as per gauges. However, a doctor may only sometimes be able to see it. When you check her, a woman may not have any lumps in her pelvis.
Also, an ultrasound might not show it. In some cases, an abdominal diagnostic laparoscopy is required. Additionally, women’s levels of discomfort do not always correspond to their illnesses. The woman had no pain during my removal of football-sized endometriomas.
Is it becoming increasingly common among young women?
Younger women might believe that endometriosis only affects older women. Additionally, the typical victim is a woman in her 30s or 40s. Teens, on the other hand, can comprehend it. Younger women were not diagnosed for a long time. We are merely acknowledging it and treating it. There are many ways to treat endometriosis. Endometriosis can be treated with a variety of medications. Because it is the most effective treatment, many drugs cause menopause. Conception-prevention tablets can likewise mitigate squeezing. Additionally, one of our treatments for it is surgery. We can use laparoscopy to cauterize the tissue or remove cysts to alleviate pain. However, it may reappear if you stop treating it. Some women will have had enough after several operations and request a hysterectomy, which is extreme.
What factors might make you more likely to get endometriosis?
Indeed, there is an inherited inclination. Additionally, endometriosis is more common in 40-year-old women than in 20-year-old women who have had a pregnancy.
If women are experiencing symptoms, what should they do?
Don’t be afraid to see a doctor if you take Aleve or Motrin, a birth control pill, and still experience cramps. Let them know you’ve attempted your painkillers, are on the anti-conception medication pill, and are still really hopeless. It would be best to go to someone who will listen to you. This isn’t something you’re committed to tolerating.
